In data networks, devices such as data switches, servers and routers, are at times connected to each other via multiple parallel Ethernet links. Such devices that provide switching functionality are universally referred to herein as switches. While additional links provide additional signal paths for Ethernet traffic between two points, link aggregation, or trunking, can be performed to more fully realize the benefits of link parallelism. Standards developed by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) in IEEE Standard 802.3ad allows one or more links to be aggregated in such a way that the group can be treated as if were a single link (i.e., a logical link).
In IEEE 802.3 ad, or Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP), candidates for aggregation are identified and the protocol is enabled for these links. LACP is defined in such a manner that the negotiation and exchange of parameters between interconnected data devices is automatic once enabled. There are various benefits to using LACP for link aggregation. These include improved link capacity, cost effective hardware upgrade path, and enhanced communications reliability. Link capacity is improved because the bandwidth of the new, single “logical” link is effectively the sum of the bandwidths of the individual links. A data stream can be split up and distributed amongst the grouped ports in a switch, thus decreasing bottlenecks in this part of the network. Furthermore, by using LACP on existing switch and network hardware one may find an intermediate capacity that falls between standard LAN data rates, such as 10 Mb/s, 100 Mb/s, and 1000 Mb/s. Leveraging existing equipment in this manner precludes the need to make 10× jumps, for example, in network capacity (i.e. 10 Mb/s to 100 Mb/s) This flexibility also enables aggregated links to exceed the throughput of current state-of-the art LAN technologies while utilizing established, well characterized, reliable and cost effective current generation network hardware. Finally, communications reliability is achieved by virtue LACP's ability to maintain a connection despite the loss of any single physical data link. In the event of a downed link, the available throughput of the aggregated ports may be diminished but data flow can remain active.
Despite the aforementioned benefits of using LACP between network switches, the manual configuration that is required to identify candidates for link aggregation remains an impediment to a fully self-configuring network with respect to physical and logical links. Although the negotiation between network devices that have LACP enabled is automatic, human interaction with the device's firmware settings is still a necessity and reduces efficiency, practicality, reliability, and simplicity of network infrastructure deployment. More specifically, the current implementation of LACP in switches requires the administrator to specify the port(s) that are aggregated together and to specify a key that will be used to identify the sender on the remote end switch. Additionally, differences in user training and expertise may lead to inconsistent arrangements, and non-ideal configurations.
Therefore, facilitating link aggregation in a self-configuring manner using IEEE 802.3ad Link Aggregation Control Protocol such that drawbacks and inefficiencies associated with the conventional manual configuration required when using IEEE 802.3ad Link Aggregation Control Protocol would be advantageous, desirable and useful.